


Lost & Found

by Oblivion_Wanderer



Series: Head Over Heels [3]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, hermann secretly likes cats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 19:33:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3581316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oblivion_Wanderer/pseuds/Oblivion_Wanderer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A rainy afternoon brings a new guest into their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost & Found

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I believe Hermann secretly likes cats.
> 
> Just written to explore how things are moving along for Newt and Hermann, and because I thought it'd be cute if they adopted a cat.

Unfortunately Newt had been right when he said it looked like it would rain today.

Hermann grimaced as he accidentally stepped in a puddle, water splashing over his shoes. It was only temporary- if he could get inside to his appartment then he could get warm and dry. Well, no the rain hadn't gotten him wet very much, as the was wearing his parka with the hood pulled up on it. It was only his feet that were wet in this case, the water soaking through his shoes.

As he stepped up to the doorway of the building, something caught his eye. Curled up in a corner of the doorway was a kitten, spotted with patches of orange and black.

Hermann sighed and knelled down before the small creature, forgetting about the rain and his soaking socks.

“Oh, you poor thing.” Hermann whispered. “Where's your mother?” He noticed the kitten shivering and picked it up. “There, there; I've got you, don't be afraid.”

He had to get up soon from this position before his leg started aching, and at the more pressing matter of getting out of the rain. But he couldn't just leave the kitten in the rain.

“Don't worry,” He said with a smile. “I know just what to do.”

 

* * *

 

Newt was in the middle of being a good for nothing sprawled out on the couch with an almost empty pizza box on the coffee table when there was a knock at the door.

“Newton, can you let me in?” Came Hermann's voice.

“Ugh, yeah, yeah; I'm coming.” He got up lazily and went over to the door to let Hermann in. “Is your leg bothering you or some....”

His words trailed off when he saw the kitten, in the other's arm, its fur damp. Newt looked at the kitten and then up at Hermann, seeking an explanation.

“I found it on the doorstep of the building.” Hermann explained. “I couldn't leave it there to likely catch its death.” He moved past Newt and into the apartment. “Can you get a washcloth?”

“Yeah, sure.” The biologist replied with a nod.

Newt disappeared into the bathroom and Hermann set the kitten down on the couch. He then spotted the pizza box on the coffee table as he was taking his parka off.

“Honestly, Newton? You couldn't wait till dinner?” He said, exasperated.

“Geez, sorry mom.” Newt called back statistically, walking back out of the bathroom with a washcloth. “I got hungry, man. Oh- by the way, I left you a couple pieces.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

Newt handed off the washcloth and Hermann used it to wrap up the kitten, who was looking up at him with big brown eyes.

The biologist sat down beside him and smiled at the kitten. “It's cute, Herms. Let me guess, you got a soft spot for cats?”

Hermann scoffed, but it was true. “Maybe. I'm going to warm some milk for it to drink, would you mind holding it?”

“Wha- Don't get me wrong, cats are the best, but...”

“It's okay, I doubt it would do any harm.”

Newt awkwardly held out his hands to receive the kitten, a bit hesitant because of his mutated limb. Hermann passed off the kitten to him and Newt settled the little creature on his lap, only keeping his normal hand cradling it, his other hand resting next to the bundled kit.

Hermann got up and went into the kitchen, leaving the other alone with the kitten.

“Hm, you're kinda cute.” He muttered. “All cats are cute though, especially the kits like you.”

The kitten looked better than when Hermann brought it in- leave it to the proffesor to rescue a stray, but it was admirable; Newt would have done the same- and it sniffed at him. Newt laughed, but then it started to crawl out of the washcloth, looking at his scaled hand.

He froze. It wasn't like he could do any harm; his claws had been filed down to dull ends and his hand was only slightly bigger than a normal hand. In time he had learned to use it normally and he always put his arm in bandages and a glove before going out to get anything. He shouldn't be bothered by a kitten with a curiosity drawn towards the limb, but somehow it, silly as it was, made him anxious.

The kitten sniffed at his hand, then bumped its head against him. The biologist laughed, and carefully raised his hand to pet the kit. “Hi.”

It purred and he carefully picked it up, observing it with a smile.

“Bonding, are we?” Hermann asked as he came back with a small dish of milk in hand.

“Maybe.” Newt grinned, setting the kitten down. “By the way, it's female- I checked her over.”

“Ah, good to know.” The professor set the milk dish down on the coffee table and propped his cane up against the couch. Newt moved the kitten onto the coffee table so she could drink.

“So, what're we gonna do with her?” He asked.

“I'm not sure. She has no tags and is most likely a stray; poor girl...”

“Do you wanna keep her?”

Hermann looked at him, then at the kitten. “There would be a few things to sort out first,-taking her to a local vet, filing necessary paperwork, gathering supplies to care for her- but I couldn't imagine sending her back out on her own; that'd be cruel. And I, ah, never got the chance to have any pets of my own, mostly because of my father- that's a story for another time.”

“I have no objections to it. I'm a cat guy and I'm not allergic to 'em.”

“Then it's settled?”

“Yeah, I guess.” He held out his hand. “Let's shake on it!”

Hermann eyed him skeptically. “Really?” Yet, he sighed and took Newt's hand, sealing their agreement. “What should we name her?”

Newt leaned forward and watched the kitten. Her fur was drying out and she was steadily drinking the milk.

“'Otachi'.” He finally said.

“That certainly wouldn't have been my first choice, but interesting.” Hermann commented. “Any... particular meaning to that?”

“That's what they called me when they were experimenting on me. It's also Japanese for sword.”

Hermann didn't know what to say at first, their silence only being interrupted by a tiny meow.

“Are you sure you-”

“I actually like the name. It's just it was used in the wrong way and given to something awful- not me, 'cause I'm pretty cool. I wanna put the name to good use, to this survivor. We'll give her a good name.”

Taking this cat in might prove to be some good company for them. Newt was here more often than Hermann and it could get quite lonesome. Plus, Newt could use someone else to talk to; cats would listen. This little one had only been here a short time, but Newt didn't want her to go ether. What harm would it do to take her in?

“Then if nether of us have objections then I guess it's settled.”

Newt grinned widely and leaned forward. “You hear that, girl? You get to stay with us!”

Hermann sighed. “Please don't make me regret this.”

 

* * *

 

A few days after Hermann rescued the kitten from the rain, Newt strolled into the apartment looking very pleased.

“Good news!” He exclaimed. “I got the job!”

“That's great.” Hermann said from the kitchen table. Sometime within the week when they first met, they had found that Newt's belongings were in storage. With a few of his things now back in his possession, and miscellaneous things taken care of, Newt said he was going to look for a job so he didn't have to borrow money from Hermann again, and to pay him back for the last time. It wasn't so easy because he had to make up a story for his arm, but this time it's seems he got lucky. Good for Newt.

A tiny meow sounded in the air and the biologist looked down to see Otachi running up to him.

“Hey there.” He greeted, watching her paw at his leg. He picked up the kitten and cradled her. Otachi squeaked at him.

“Remind me again, what is it you're doing now with this job?” Hermann asked.

“Nothing much. It's just that coffee shop a couple blocks over, so the usual things that come with working at a coffee shop. At least the manager was gracious enough to not mind my arm when I had to explain my fake backstory.” He walked into the kitchen to find the other reading something, probably some science or math or space article. Newt set Otachi down on the floor, where she ran off to play with one of her toys.

“Are you sure you wouldn't rather return to the university?” Hermann asked.

Newt had taken off his glove and started undoing the gauze that disguised his transmutated arm. He'd heard the question, but continued to undo the coverings. The answer he was ready to give hadn't changed yet.

“I would like to, but I can't. My arm and my back... it wouldn't go over well.”

The last of the bandages fell away from Newt's right hand, showing the blue and scales and everything else in between.

Hermann looked up, watching Newt flex his hand and stare at it. He sighed and reached out to grab his wrist.

“You're far too stubborn, but I respect your decision. I cannot force you.” Hermann said. “But I will say this every time- If I can be okay with it, then I'm sure your friends and colleagues back at the university would understand, even your students.”

Newt looked downcast, but gave a wary smile. “And I told you I'll think about it. I still am.”

Otachi ran into his foot and the biologist looked down at the kitten. She pawed at his leg before going back to playing with her toy. Newt smiled fondly, and then he noticed the hand still on his wrist.

“Um...” He tried to shake his arm free. “You can let go now, Hermann.”

Hermann seemed to realize this too and drew his hand back as if it'd been burned. “I-I'm sorry.”

“Nah, it's, uh, alright.”

A stretch of awkward silence came between them and Newt looked away, distracting himself with Otachi. He hadn't minded that touch at all, actually. Hermann's hand had felt nice around him.

“So...” He said at last. “Cat guy, huh?”

Hermann scowled and pretended to be focused on the article he was reading, but that didn't stop him from muttering a “yes”, and it brought a smile to Newt's face.

 


End file.
